Premier England pace bowler James Anderson has said that he does not have the time to get to know the Australians ahead of the winter Ashes series as this 'faux relationship' does not mean a lot to him.
Anderson does not believe in pretending that affection exists where it does not, and admitted that he could not enjoy the traditional drinks between his side and the Australians at the end of the last Ashes series as he was unable to see England's arch-rivals as mates.
According to The Independent, Anderson said that for him, it was no use of getting to know the Australians as the team would again face them as adversaries in future games, adding that it is hard to build a relationship with any opposition unless one plays with them in county cricket or Twenty20 events like the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Stating that there is no time to chat with one's rivals given the tight schedule, Anderson also said that he also has not time for the 'affected disdain' the Australians tried with the England players back in the 2006-07 series, adding that this why Australian coach Darren Lehmann's criticism of his team does not worry him unduly.
Anderson further said that England would not play in the return Ashes series for the sake of impressing Lehmann, adding that the team does not play to get the acclaim or praise of the media.